mirage

noun

mi·​rage mə-ˈräzh 

1

: an optical (see optical sense 2a) effect that is sometimes seen at sea, in the desert, or over a hot pavement, that may have the appearance of a pool of water or a mirror in which distant objects are seen inverted, and that is caused by the bending or reflection of rays of light by a layer of heated air of varying density

2

: something illusory and unattainable like a mirage

A peaceful solution proved to be a mirage.

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Mirage and Vision

Mirage comes from the French verb mirer ("to look at"), which is related to mirror. Mirer, itself, is from Latin mīrārī ("to wonder at"), the ancestor of the commonly seen admire, miracle, and marvel.

Choose the Right Synonym for mirage

delusion, illusion, hallucination, mirage mean something that is believed to be true or real but that is actually false or unreal.

delusion implies an inability to distinguish between what is real and what only seems to be real, often as the result of a disordered state of mind.

delusions of persecution

illusion implies a false ascribing of reality based on what one sees or imagines.

an illusion of safety

hallucination implies impressions that are the product of disordered senses, as because of mental illness or drugs.

suffered from terrifying hallucinations

mirage in its extended sense applies to an illusory vision, dream, hope, or aim.

claimed a balanced budget is a mirage

Examples of mirage in a Sentence

A peaceful solution proved to be a mirage.

Recent Examples on the Web

An unusual public dispute has erupted among leading maternal health experts over whether the striking rise of U.S. maternal mortality rates over the past two decades was the real deal — or a statistical mirage. —Robin Fields, ProPublica, 5 Apr. 2024

Acoustical mirages beguiled the ears: in the trio of the Scherzo, brassy E-flat-major triads evoked a trio of hunting horns. —Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 25 Mar. 2024

The constant cracks of the bat emanating from the cage at Scottsdale Stadium were no desert mirage. —Evan Webeck, The Mercury News, 31 Mar. 2024

Yet the presence of state authority must be real, not a mirage. —Melissa Quinn, CBS News, 15 Mar. 2024

Domestic politics explains Blinken’s and Biden’s remarks, their frenzied pursuit of a Palestinian mirage, and the general incoherence of President Biden’s actions in the Middle East. —Matthew Continetti, National Review, 10 Feb. 2024

But even that luxury is more of a mirage, as executives increasingly call their workers back to the office with mandates. —Chloe Berger, Fortune, 30 Jan. 2024

The mirage of international friendship dissolves, and for the astronauts aboard, things get awkward, then violent. —Rebecca Heilweil, WIRED, 23 Jan. 2024

Then, like a mirage, the coyote disappeared back into the desert. —Alex Wigglesworth, Los Angeles Times, 11 Mar. 2024

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from French, from mirer "to look at, gaze at" (going back to Old French, going back to Latin mīrārī "to be surprised, look with wonder at") + -age -age — more at admire

First Known Use

1800, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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Kids Definition

mirage

noun

mi·​rage mə-ˈräzh 

: an illusion that gives the appearance of a pool of water or a mirror in which distant objects are seen inverted, that is sometimes seen at sea, in the desert, or over a hot pavement, and that is caused by the bending or reflection of light passing through layers of air having different temperatures

Medical Definition

mirage

noun

mi·​rage mə-ˈräzh 

: an optical effect that is sometimes seen at sea, in the desert, or over a hot pavement, that may have the appearance of a pool of water or a mirror in which distant objects are seen inverted, and that is caused by the bending or reflection of rays of light by a layer of heated air of varying density